BONNIE RAITT with RHIANNON GIDDENS, State Theatre, Sydney, Friday, April 7th 2017
By: David (DOS) O’Sullivan
Bonnie Raitt
Sydney’s State Theatre is a favourite venue for Bonnie Raitt, who rightly laments the demise of such venues in the USA, replaced by Wal-Marts and such like crap houses ; she is also a big fan of Australia, having had a few days R and R prior to this show and swimming at local marine sanctuary Shelley Beach …..but on to the show.
Striding out on stage looking amazing for 67 years old and fronting a crack band of veteran players, Bonnie opened her set with a track from her latest album “Dig in Deep “called Unintended consequences of love before launching into a reconstructed version of the INXS song Need you Tonight which went down very well with the local audience. The set comprised of old and new across this wonderful lady’s career and did not flag at all, she is engaging and funny with her rapport with her band and crew and performed a stunning newer version of John Prine’s Angel from Montgomery which almost ( ok it did ) brought me to tears.
Bonnie Raitt goes from strength to strength as a performer and songwriter, her slide guitar playing sublime and brilliant as an added bonus, truly a blues goddess….long may she reign
Support acts rarely fill a venue prior to an act but this was an exception as most seats were filled when Rhiannon Giddens walked out barefoot and picked up a banjo and led her amazing band through a mesmerising set. The former lead singer of Carolina Chocolate Drops, an African-American string band, has a haunting, mesmerising voice , the music drifting between folk holler, Appalachian and spiritual, and her amazing band featuring Dirk Howe and Hubby Jenkins were more than up to the task , her latest album “Freedom Highway “would be a certainty in any collection for music purists.
BONNIE RAITT: Guitar, Vocals
RICKY FATAAR: Drums, Backing Vocals
DAVID HUTCHISON: Bass, Backing Vocals
MIKE FINNIGAN: Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Set List: Unintended consequences of love, Need you tonight, No business, Undone, Shakin Shakin Shakes , Roads in my mind, Feel the shame,Hear me lord, Something to talk about, The coming round is going through, Angel from Montgomery, Don’t answer the door, I believe I’m in love with you, What your doing to me, I can’t make you love me, Nick of time, Thing called love, You’ve got the love, Your sweet shiny eyes.
FURTHER TOUR DATES: